What’s Cooking?

Once in a while, I make a little foray into the kitchen and try my hand at cooking. On occasion, I will turn the burner on under a pan and then get what I want to cook to put in the pan. I’m sure there is some scientific explanation for this, but have you ever noticed that an empty pan gets hot and starts to burn very quickly? Just throw the food into it and the same pan starts to do its work browning and heating.

I see a significant faith lesson in my frying pan. If I have a religious fire going in me and it is not being used for any constructive purpose, I can easily become ‘overheated’ and do more damage than good. However, if my ‘fire’ is being channeled into a God honoring pursuit, I have the opportunity to do good.

What this means is that I need to have some expression of my faith that is making a difference in the world. Whether this means serving in a ministry within my church, or actively engaging life in some avenue outside my church, I need a purpose.

If I am only engaged in worship, study, and prayer to increase my faith, I’ve missed the clear call that Jesus extends for us to give our lives away. If faith only flows into my life, I run the risk of becoming an empty pot on a hot stove. If left unchecked, the pan can be ruined or the building an even catch fire.

What can you imagine will happen to a life ‘on the stove’ with nothing in it? What will happen in a church with people like this?